Friday, April 27, 2012

The Medical Reserve Corps of Scott County (MRC-SC) is a countywide resource of health professionals and non-medical volunteers who strengthen our community by preparing for and responding to local public health emergencies and assisting in ongoing public health initiatives. Includes option to sign up for Minnesota Responds that integrates local, regional, statewide and occasionally national during a disaster.

The MRC-SC allows for volunteers to donate their time and expertise right here in ScottCounty, making if easier for you to assist your own family, neighbors and community.

Our goal is to have pre-identified and trained, Medical Reserve Corps volunteers ready to assist medical response professionals during a large scale emergency that threatens local public health – be it an outbreak of meningitis, SARS, influenza or an event of bioterrorism.

governmentplanningtoevacuatechicago - offgridurvival.com/CBS 2, Chicago
Oh, yeah. Urban Warfare Training drills? Heard that one before. Which Urban Warfare Training "drill" "highly recommends" that homeowners should evacuate or not expect any help from the authorities b/c the main level and street access to their buildings will be barricaded incl the parking garage?

Alright, planning a Great Prosperous Garden during the summer has numerous prepping benefits.
Other than Fresh Vegetables and Tools made from the plant material during harvest, Survival Gardening can take on a whole new benefit of Nutritious, Cheap MRE's - CANNING AT HOME!

I'm trying to get all the equipment together right now, and have done some looking and learning.
I'm not trying to preach about the wonders of the Garden, Organic, Whatever....
I just remember asking Pamela as a kid "This is a lot of work to put things into jars"
Pamela's response: "You'll appreciate this work in January when I make Chili from these tomatoes."

Pamela,
Your wisdom was lost back then to my punk, know it all ass. Look forward to Sweatin in the Kitchen canning my Victory Crop!!

Here's some references I have found extremely useful:

Home Canning and Food PreservationCanning, dehydrating, freezing. Sun ripened fruits, garden fresh vegetables and home grown
meat. We all know just how good and how nutritious they are.

Learn to provide healthy nutritious foods for your family and have
fun doing it. Don't get me wrong, filling your pantry is a lot of work
up front.

The benefits you enjoy throughout the year are OH SO worth it. Are you looking for someone to come along side? Do you wonder where to start? Let me help!Sharon of Simply Canning blog

Assembly:
Layer ingredients in the order given in a one quart (four cup) glass
jar. Use a spoon to pack each layer in place before adding the next
ingredient. Pack instant potato flakes tightly, right to the top of the
jar. Secure with a screw top lid. Decorate the jar lid as desired. Print
the label shown above, or write your own label, then glue the label to
the jar or tie it to the jar lid with pretty ribbon or raffia.

To Serve:
Empty Cheese Soup Mix into a soup tureen or serving bowl. Stir in 5
cups of boiling water. If soup is too thick, add another ½ cup of
boiling water. Allow to stand for five minutes and stir well. Garnish
with grated cheese.

Variations:Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Add one cup of warm, cooked, finely chopped broccoli to the soup,
right after adding the boiling water. Let stand for five minutes.
Garnish with grated cheddar cheese.

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

- Cook one cup of small cauliflower florets until tender. Add to
soup, right after adding the boiling water. Garnish with grated cheese
and chives. Let stand for five minutes.

Beef Barley Soup Mix in a Jar Recipe

1 (1 pint) jar

3/4 cup medium pearl barley, separated

1/2 cup dried lentils

2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

1/4 cup dried minced onions

1/4 cup instant beef bouillon

2 tablespoons dried celery flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic

Layer soup kit ingredients in jar in order listed, using half of
barley first and then remaining barley at the top. Close jar securely
with lid. Attach cooking instructions.

Country Soup Mix in a Jar recipe

Fills one 1-quart jar

1/2 cup barley

1/2 cup dried split peas

1/2 cup uncooked rice

1/2 cup dry lentils

2 tablespoons dried minced onion

2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules

1/2 cup uncooked alphabet pasta

1 cup uncooked twist macaroni

In a wide mouth 1-quart jar, layer the barley, peas, rice and
lentils. Then layer around the edges the onion, parsley, salt, lemon
pepper, bouillon and the alphabet pasta. Fill the rest of the jar with
the twist macaroni. Seal.

Pour gravy mix into wide-mouth pint jar. In small bowl, stir together
bouillon granules, onion, celery and parsley. Pour into jar to make
second layer. Add layers of wild rice, white rice and mushrooms. Seal
with lid. Attach gift tag (below) and decorate jar as desired.

Attach a gift tag with the following instructions:

Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

Empty contents of jar into a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add 7 cups
water; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25 to 30
minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Garnish with
chopped fresh parsley.

Makes 6 servings.

Apple Muffin Mix in a Jar recipe

2 cups self-rising flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup chopped dried apple

Combine and store in an airtight container. Attach the following recipe to the jar:

Stir together flour, sugar, milk, baking powder, lemon peel and salt.
Cut in shortening using a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture
resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in berries. Layer into a 1-quart canning
jar, tapping gently on the counter between layers to settle before
adding the next. Add additional dried blueberries to fill in small gaps
if necessary. Stores at room temperature for up to 6 weeks, or freeze
for up to 6 months.

* To make vanilla sugar, fill a 1-quart jar with sugar. Split a
vanilla bean in half lengthwise and add both halves to the sugar. Flavor
gets better after a couple of weeks, and it will keep as long as
regular sugar.

Attach the following instructions on a gift tag:

Blueberry Scones

Apricot Bread Mix in a Jar recipe

1/2 cup nuts, chopped

1/2 cup dried apricots, finely chopped

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 cups Bisquick

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Layer ingredients in a wide-mouth 1-quart canning jar in order given.
Press each layer firmly in place before adding next ingredient.

Attached the following instructions to a gift tag:

Apricot Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease well a large loaf pan and place wax paper on the bottom.

In a large bowl, place the Apricot Bread mix. Make a well in the
center. Mix 1 1/4 cups milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 slightly
beaten eggs and 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine into dry mixture.
Mix until completely blended. Spoon the batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 1 hour or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack before removing.

Heavenly Garlic Bagels Mix in a Jar recipe

3 cups flour

3 1/3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

1/4 teaspoon paprika

3 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place yeast into a small zip baggie and set aside, or set aside a
pre-packaged envelope of yeast. Mix and place remaining ingredients into
a quart-size jar. Lay baggie of yeast on top of mix and apply lid.

Attach the following instructions to the jar if giving as a gift:

Heavenly Garlic Bagels

Place all ingredients of the jar plus 1 1/8 cups water into bread pan
of your bread maker, in the order recommended by manufacturer. Insert
the bread pan into the bread maker, and select "Dough" and loaf size (1
1/2 pound loaf), select desired delay option, and press Start.

When dough cycle has completed, remove dough from bread maker, and
set aside two 1/4-inch balls of dough. You will use these later to
determine if it is time to boil your bagels. If the dough pops to the
top of the boiling water right away, you are ready! Place dough on a
floured surface and divide into 8 equal portions. Form balls, and gently
press your thumb through the middle of each ball, and slowly stretch
dough into a bagel shape. Leave bagels to rise on same floured surface,
lightly covered with a towel.

While bagels are rising, bring 3 quarts of water to a rolling boil.
Add 1 tablespoon sugar to boiling water and stir to dissolve sugar. Drop
first dough ball (you set these aside earlier) into boiling water,
using a slotted spoon. When dough balls pass the test, boil the bagels
by dropping them carefully into the boiling water, 2 or 3 at a time.
Boil on each side for 1 1/2 minutes, then remove from water and cool on a
wire cooling rack for 1 minute.

Brush each bagel with an egg wash (1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water) and
sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired. (Nonstick cooking spray
may be substituted for egg wash.) Bake at 400 degrees F on baking sheet
which has been sprinkled with cornmeal (can use greased baking sheet),
for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Variation: Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garlic bread seasoning for a more pronounced Italian flavor.

Savory Onion Bread Mix in a Jar Recipe

1/4 cup dehydrated onion flakes

3 1/3 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon powdered milk

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon dried sage, optional

1 envelope yeast

Place the onion flakes in a small zip-type bag and set aside.

Combine remaining ingredients, except for the yeast, in a one-quart
jar. Add the bag of onions and the yeast to the top of the mix and close
the jar. Store the mix in a cool, dry place.

An equivalent amount of bulk yeast can be substituted for the
pre-packaged yeast, but if you choose to do this you'll need to keep the
mix with yeast in refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

Include the following instructions on a gift tag:

1 jar Onion Bread Mix

1 1/8 cups warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

Follow your bread maker instructions. For most bread makers, place
the water and oil into the bread pan, then add the dry ingredients on
top, add the yeast last. Bake as for "white" bread.

This mix can be used for traditional bread if you don't have a bread
maker. Just mix ingredients as you would for white bread. Knead, let
rise, punch down and form loaf and place in greased pan. Let rise again
and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and
loaf sounds hollow when tapped.